Page 58 of The Off-Limits Rule: Extended Edition

“Oooh, how very Tinker Bell villain of you.”

“Lucy, you need to put your boundaries in place right now. If you’re not intending to sleep with Cooper tonight—and I don’t think you are, because you’re afraid to stand up to your brother—then you need to wear the most unappealing thing you can think of to act as a deterrent.”

My shoulders sink. “First, I’m not afraid to stand up to my brother. Cooper and I both agreed we didn’t want to get off to a rocky start with this relationship, so we’re waiting until the idea grows on Drew.”

Jessie has not been thrilled about our decision ever since I called her squealing and blabbering about it last night. “It shouldn’t have to grow on Drew. It’s none of his business.”

“It is his business. I’m his sister, and Cooper is his best friend. Our choice is going to affect him.” Even as I say the words, though, they don’t feel quite right. It’s bothered me ever since Cooper mentioned that Drew made this choice for me without my knowledge…like I couldn’t be trusted to make my own good decision. It also bothers me that Drew doesn’t see that Cooperisa good decision. I don’t know. I’ve never been upset at Drew on this level before, never questioned his intentions toward me, so partof me wants to take these uncomfortable feelings and bury them somewhere until I know what to do with them.

Another part of me, however—the side that’s learning to come out of hiding and go for the things I want—that part wants to tell my brother to stick his “good intentions” where the sun don’t shine and let me live my life. I think I would if it didn’t seem important to Cooper to gain Drew’s blessing. So, for now, I go along with the off-limits rule.

Jessie presses her lips together and shakes her head. “My pregnancy hormones are raging too much to have a conversation with you where you stick up for your brother’s bad choices.”

“You’re grumpy and need some chocolate.”

She narrows her eyes into slits. “No. I. Don’t. And I’m not grumpy.” She looks to the side, grinding her teeth into dust before she looks back to me. “But if I did happen to want chocolate, where would I find it?”

I bite down on my smile because I’m afraid she might punch me if she sees it. Pregnancy hormones should never be underestimated. “Top shelf in the pantry.”

She rolls her eyes because she’s now a teenager who’s committed to being annoyed with her parent even though they are doing something cool. “Okay. I probably won’t even want it, though.”

“Uh huh.” I step forward to yank my period panties out of her hand one final time, then pull open the top drawer of my dresser, digging for my saggy, disintegrating, pathetic excuse for a bra. “You go anddon’teat that chocolate while I go change into my chastity belt.”

Chapter 26

Cooper

I’m almost to Lucy’s house when my phone rings. I answer it over my truck’s speaker without bothering to look at the caller ID because I know who’s calling. “Hey, beautiful, I’m almost to your place. Traffic was terrible.” Did I just call her beautiful? Was that weird? I’ve never been the guy to call women by little pet names like that, but it just kind of slipped out. What’s happening tome?

“Awwwww, hello to you too, handsome.”

Annnnnd I should have looked at the caller ID.

“Drew. I thought you were someone else.”Your sister.

He chuckles. “I got that vibe. I mean, we both know I’m good-looking, but out of the two of us, you’re definitely the beautiful one.”

“Well, that’s just not true. Your eyelashes are longer.”

“You have nice cheekbones, though.”

“Eh—they’re okay. Your teeth are straighter. And they’re so white.”

“Thanks for noticing,” he says, sounding genuinely grateful. “Wait…should we just get married?”

“Probably.”

“This conversation has taken a turn somewhere.”

Speaking of turns, I’m about to pull into Drew’s driveway to secretly pick up his sister and take her on a fake date that will be entirely too real to me and lie to him about the whole thing. I’m a great friend. “What were you calling about? And how are you even calling me right now? Aren’t you in a remote part of Costa Rica?”

“Yep. I have trouble getting service in my own bathroom back home, but Costa Rica’s got me three bars.” There’s some commotion in the background, and I hear someone ask Drew about checking vitals on a patient. “I gotta go in just a second. We’ve been nonstop here. I just wanted to check and see if you’ve seen Lucy at all this week?”

“Why would I have seen Lucy?”Whoa there, Cooper, let’s take that defensiveness down a notch.

I can hear the quizzical smile in Drew’s voice when he says, “Relax, man, I wasn’t trying to accuse you. I just haven’t heard from her in a few days, and she hasn’t returned my emails, so I was checking if you’ve seen her around at all?”

Damn, I’m a bad friend.

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